Sink and Faucet Frame

ABSTRACT

A method for protecting the wood board layer from potential water damage during use is disclosed. The method for protecting the wood board layer from potential water damage originating from the faucet plumbing provides for replacing the particle board with non-porous plastic blocks in the areas in which holes are drilled in order to accommodate the faucet plumbing. The non-porous plastic blocks enclose the faucet plumbing and prevent the water from a possible leak to come in contact with the particle board areas around the plumbing for a long enough period of time until the leak can be repaired. The method for protecting the wood board layer from potential water damage originating from the sink caulking provides for applying a waterproof sealer to the bottom of the particle board in an area around the sink apertures that has a perimeter extending at least 2 inches from the sink aperture.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to countertop frames used in sink and faucet installations. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for protecting the countertop frames from potential water damage during use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A common countertop frame currently used in faucet and sink installations is a two-component structure comprising of a laminate layer and a particle board layer. The laminate layer has a thickness ranging typically from about 1/32″ to about 1/16″ and is itself made of multiple layers that are laminated together at high temperatures. Traditional laminate countertop frames contain mostly melamine plastic, but more contemporary countertop frames contain plastics reinforced with paper, glass fibers and carbon plastic. The laminate layer is glued to the particle board that can have a thickness ranging from about 0.5″ to about 2.0″ depending on the application.

Prior art references disclose a variety of implements and methods for mounting sinks and faucets. U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,103 discloses an apertured mounting unit comprising a deck sheet with a top and a bottom surface, the sheet having a cross-sectional edge that defines an aperture. A non-porous seal ring abuts the edge, the seal ring having top and bottom surfaces. The top and bottom surfaces of the seal ring adjacent to the edge are generally flush with adjacent top and bottom surfaces of the deck sheet. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,131,521 and 6,352,038 are directed to a modular worktop, and method of assembly, including a surface member, a front edge, and a backsplash, the components preferably being removably attached to each other. U.S. Pat. No. 2,549,415 teaches a sink frame and the means for mounting the frame. U.S. Pat. No. 2,897,516 issued in 1959 relates to an apparatus for mounting a sink and lavatory and discloses a sink frame. U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,297 describes a sink assembly that has a separate rim and basin made of different materials. The basin has a flange surrounding a bowl that is exposed under the rim to form an accessible ledge. A glass-filled polyester resin is injected into a mold adjacent the underside of the rim member and the flange. The polyester resin bonds with the rim member and prevents the basin from moving relative to the rim member. U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,097 discloses a stone-top sink board arrangement that includes a sink board having a through hole, a reinforcing panel overlappedly mounted underneath the sink board, wherein the reinforcing panel has a guiding hole coaxially aligning with the through hole of the sink board, a mounting unit arranged for securely mounting the top surrounding edge of the bowl to the reinforcing panel and at least two supporting flanges. U.S. Pat. No. 7,007,317 deals with a sink having a flange that can be flush-mounted in a countertop where the countertop is made of a laminate upper layer supported by a wood based body such as particle board. The countertop is readied for sink mounting by sloughing out a sink channel in the supporting body of the countertop. The sink channel is filled with a hardenable plastic such as an epoxy. The upper surface of the epoxy and the laminate is machined such as by a router to create a rabbet to accommodate the flange of the sink. The sink channel is arranged so that the hardened epoxy extends under the laminate so that any water which passes under the flange of the sink will contact the epoxy and not the wood based structure. A faucet having holes to accommodate hot water, cold water, spigot and faucet accessories can be mounted using the same channel and epoxy system.

While in some cases the particle board is treated with a chemical to make it moisture resistant, this is generally not desirable because of the cost. However, a countertop having an untreated particle board layer is susceptible to water damage in case of a plumbing leak which can cause moisture to come in contact with the wood particle board surface and be absorbed into the interior of the board. Particle boards are generally composed of wood chips that are combined with a resin bonding agent such as urea formaldehyde, phenol formaldehyde or melamine formaldehyde. The mixture is pressed then cut into the desired dimensions.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention relates to countertops used in the installation of sinks, faucets and spigots. More specifically the present invention relates to countertop frames containing a wood board layer and a laminate layer. The wood board layer may be a particle board, a fiber board or an oriented strand board. These boards are constructed from wood or from lignocellulosic materials refined into fibres or chips and reconstituted with a resin binder at elevated temperatures. The laminate layer may contain a variety of materials including but not limited to paper, wood, metal, plastic, granite, concrete, tile, and acrylic. The countertop frame is installed onto a counter structure designed to accommodate such a frame. It typically contains one or more apertures for mounting an under-mount sink and for accommodating the plumbing of at least one faucet. The particle board layer has a top surface and a bottom surface and the laminate has a top surface and a bottom surface. The particle board top surface is permanently glued to the bottom surface of the laminate to form the countertop.

A method for protecting the wood board layer from potential water damage during use is disclosed. Damage can occur from a water leak originating from the faucet plumbing that seeps under the countertop. Water damage can also occur from water seeping through the caulking used for sealing the sink to the countertop frame. The method for protecting the wood board layer from potential water damage originating from the faucet plumbing provides for replacing the particle board with one or more non-porous plastic blocks in the areas in which holes are drilled in order to accommodate the faucet plumbing. The non-porous plastic blocks enclose the faucet plumbing and prevent water from coming in contact with the particle board areas around the plumbing for a long enough period of time until the leak can be repaired. The method for protecting the wood board layer from potential water damage originating from the sink caulking provides for applying a waterproof sealer to the bottom of the particle board in an area around the sink aperture that has a perimeter extending at least 2 inches from the sink aperture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Representing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a view of the bottom of the countertop showing the particle board layer having the sink aperture and four cavities in the particle board layer where sections have been removed for inserting the non-porous blocks.

FIG. 2 is the view of FIG. 1 illustrating a plastic block insert used for filling a cavity.

In an alternate representation of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a depiction of the bottom of the countertop showing the particle board layer having the sink aperture and a channel in the particle board layer where a section has been removed for inserting a non-porous block.

FIG. 4 is the view of FIG. 3 illustrating a plastic block insert that fills the channel.

FIG. 5 shows four holes drilled through the plastic block insert of FIG. 4 into which the faucet plumbing is installed.

FIG. 6 shows four holes drilled through the individual plastic block inserts of FIG. 1 into which the faucet plumbing is installed.

FIG. 7 is top view of the countertop having a sink installed and indicating one drilled hole and two pipes fitted through and glued to two drilled holes. The pipes are used in the installation of the faucets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment of the present invention, the method for protecting the wood board layer from potential water damage originating from the faucet plumbing comprises the steps of:

-   -   1. Removing cuboid sections from the particle board layer of the         countertop frame in the locations that correspond to the faucets         on the counter structure. The number of sections that are         removed depends on the installation. Typically, however, between         two to seven sections are removed. Each section is removed down         to the laminate layer which leaves a cavity in the particle         board layer. The removal of the sections may be accomplished by         either drilling the particle board down to the laminate layer or         by routing out the sections using a router having a template of         an appropriate size and shape. The preferred shape of the         cavities is a cuboid having rounded corners. However, other         shapes including but not limited to cylindrical, oval or square         also fall within the scope of the present invention. The         cavities and their corresponding blocks may or may not all have         the same dimensions. The length and width of each cuboid range         from about 0.75 inches to about 3 inches, while the depth ranges         from about 0.75 inches to about 1.5 inches. The length and the         width of each cuboid section are generally equal.     -   2. Preparing plastic blocks that match the sizes of their         respective cavities. The 10 blocks may be cut from a larger         block or molded separately. The preferred plastic for         manufacturing the blocks has a low porosity. The plastic         compositions include but are not limited to polycarbonate         resins, acrylic polymers, phenolic polymers, polymethyl         methacrylate and PVC. Each block has an inner surface and an         outer surface and is cut to tightly fit into its corresponding         cavity.     -   3. Applying an abrasive surface such as sandpaper to the bottom         surface of the block which is placed against the inside of the         cavity, and to the sides of the block.     -   4. Applying a commercially available bi-component epoxy resin to         the inner surface and to the sides of the block. An epoxy resin         suitable for this application contains an adhesive component,         such as an epichlorohydrin, and a hardening component such as a         polymercaptan. An example of a bi-component epoxy that is         suitable for this application currently on the market is Henkel         Loctite® 608.     -   5. Inserting the block into its corresponding cavity and         pressing it firmly into the cavity. The outer surface of the         block may be flush with the surface of the bottom surface of the         particle board or may protrude out about 1/16 inches to about ¼         inches from the particle board bottom surface.     -   6. Allowing the adhesive to harden.     -   7. Drilling a hole through the block as needed to fit the size         faucet selected for the specific application. The most common         shape for the drilled hole is cylindrical; however a cuboid         shape also falls within the scope of the present invention. The         diameter of the drilled hole ranges from about 0.75 inches to         about 2 inches depending on the size of the faucet plumbing         selected for the installation.

In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the method for protecting the wood board layer from potential water damage originating from the faucet plumbing comprises of removing only one long section from the particle board which leaves a channel where the section is removed. The preferred shape of the channel is a cuboid having rounded corners. The channel covers all the areas that correspond to the faucets installed on the counter structure. Depending on the application, the length of the section and channel may range from about 5 inches to about 21 inches; the width may range between about 0.75 inches to about 3 inches, and the depth may range from about 0.75 inches to about 1.5 inches. Under this embodiment, the method for protecting the particle board layer from potential water damage originating from the faucet plumbing comprises the steps of:

-   -   1. Removing one long section from the particle board layer         leaving a channel where the section is removed. The channel         covers all the locations that correspond to the faucets on the         counter structure. The section is removed down to the laminate         layer. The removal of the section may be accomplished by         drilling the particle board down to the laminate layer or by         routing out the section. The preferred shape of the channel is a         cuboid having rounded corners.     -   2. Preparing a low porosity plastic block that matches the size         of the channel.     -   3. Applying an abrasive surface such as sandpaper to the bottom         of the block which is placed against the inside of the cavity,         and to the sides of the block.     -   4. Applying a commercially available bi-component epoxy resin to         the inner surface and to the sides of the block. An epoxy resin         suitable for this application contains an adhesive component,         such as an epichlorohydrin, and a hardening component, such as a         polymercaptan. An example of a bi-component epoxy currently on         the market suitable for this application is Henkel Loctite® 608.     -   5. Inserting the block into its corresponding cavity and         pressing it firmly into the cavity. The outer surface of the         block may be flush with the surface of the bottom surface of the         particle board or may protrude out about 1/16″ to about ¼″ from         the particle board bottom surface.     -   6. Allowing the adhesive to harden.     -   7. Drilling holes through the block in the locations that match         those on the counter structure where the faucet plumbing is         placed, and of sizes needed to fit the size faucet or sprayer         selected for the specific application. The most common shape for         the drilled hole is cylindrical; however a cuboid shape also         falls within the scope of the present invention. The diameters         of the drilled holes range from about 0.75″ to about 2″         depending on the size of the faucet plumbing selected for         installation.

The method for protecting the wood board layer from potential water damage originating from water seeping through the caulking used for sealing the sink to the countertop frame comprises of applying a waterproof sealer to the bottom of the particle board covering an area around the sink aperture that has a perimeter extending at least 2 inches from the sink aperture. The sealant composition that may be used for this application includes but is not limited to catalyzed PVA glue, water based neoprene adhesives, and solvent based neoprene adhesives. Examples of waterproof sealers currently on the market appropriate for this application are National Casein® PC7800, Henkel® 318T and Henkel® F160.

A cuboid shape non-porous plastic block insert helps enhance the stability of the block and helps contain the leak damage until the leak can be repaired.

Referring to FIG. 1, the bottom of the particle board layer (1) of countertop (8) comprises an aperture for installing a sink (3) and four cavities (2) representing the preferred embodiment for protecting the particle board from water damage originating from the faucet plumbing. The plastic block insert (4) is shown in FIG. 2. An alternate embodiment for a method for protecting the particle board from water damage originating from the faucet plumbing comprises removing a section from the particle board to create a long channel (2 a) as shown in FIG. 3 into which a single plastic block is inserted (5) as indicated in FIG. 4. Holes (6) drilled into the individual plastic blocks (4) are shown in FIG. 6, and holes (6) drilled into the single block (5) inserted into the channel are illustrated in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 shows the top side of the countertop (8) featuring a sink (7), a drilled hole (6), and pipes (9) glued into the holes for the faucet installations. 

1. A method for protecting a countertop frame from potential water damage, wherein said countertop frame is adapted for a sink and faucet structure, said countertop frame having an aperture for placing a sink, said faucet structure having a plurality of faucet members, said countertop frame also having a top side and a bottom side, said top side comprises a laminate layer, said bottom side comprises a wood particle board layer, said laminate layer is glued to the particle board layer, said method comprising: A. removing a plurality of sections from the wood particle board layer to form a plurality of cavities in the wood particle board layer, wherein each cavity size and placement is adapted to fit a corresponding faucet member counterpart and wherein each cavity has a bottom and side walls, said cavity bottom comprises of the laminate layer; B. providing a plastic block insert for said cavity, said plastic block insert having a top surface, a bottom surface and sides, said plastic block insert tightly fits into the cavity side walls; C. applying an abrasive surface to the bottom surface and to the sides of said plastic block insert to enhance the roughness of the bottom surface and sides of said plastic block insert; D. applying an adhesive to the bottom surface and sides of said plastic block insert; E. pressing said plastic block insert into the cavity in a manner that the bottom of said insert is substantially flush against the bottom of the cavity, and said top of the insert being substantially flush with the bottom side of the countertop; F. allowing the adhesive to harden; G. drilling through the insert and laminate layers to form an aperture having an appropriate diameter for fitting a corresponding faucet member; and H. inserting a faucet pipe into the aperture and applying an appropriate adhesive to the aperture and pipes to glue the pipe in place as needed.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the shape of the section removed from the wood particle board layer is substantially rectangular. 3 The method of claim 1, wherein the shape of the section removed from the wood particle board layer is substantially square.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the shape of the section removed from the wood particle board layer is substantially cylindrical.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesive comprises of a bi-component epoxy material.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the abrasive surface is sandpaper.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plastic block insert is made of a solid non-porous block.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plastic block insert comprises of PVC.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the plastic block insert comprises of an acrylic polymer.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plastic block insert comprises of a polyester polymer.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the wood particle board layer sections is accomplished by drilling.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein removing the wood particle board layer sections is accomplished by routing.
 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising of applying a waterproof sealer to the bottom of the particle board, said waterproof sealer covers an area around the sink aperture having a perimeter extending at least 2 inches from the sink aperture.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the waterproof sealer is catalyzed PVA glue.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the waterproof sealer is water based neoprene.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the waterproof sealer is solvent based neoprene.
 17. A method for protecting a countertop frame from potential water damage, wherein said countertop frame is adapted for a sink and faucet system, said countertop frame having an aperture for placing a sink, said faucet system having a plurality of faucet members, said countertop frame also having a top side and a bottom side, said top side comprises a laminate layer, said bottom side comprises a wood particle board layer, said laminate layer is glued to the particle board layer, said method comprising: A. removing a section from the wood particle board layer to form a channel in the wood particle board layer, wherein the channel size and placement is adapted to fit a plurality of faucet members, said channel has a bottom and side walls, said channel bottom comprises of the laminate layer; B. providing a plastic block insert, said plastic block insert having a top surface, a bottom surface and sides, said plastic block insert tightly fits into the channel side walls; C. applying an adhesive to the bottom and sides of said plastic block insert; D. applying an abrasive surface to the bottom surface of said plastic block insert to enhance the roughness of the bottom surface of said plastic block insert; E. pressing said plastic block insert into the channel in a manner that the bottom of said insert is flush against the bottom of the channel and said top of the insert is substantially flush with the bottom side of the countertop; F. allowing the adhesive to harden; G. drilling through the insert and laminate layers to form one or more apertures, wherein each aperture has an appropriate diameter for fitting a corresponding faucet member; and H. inserting faucet pipes into the apertures and applying an appropriate adhesive to the apertures and pipes to glue the pipe in place as needed.
 18. The method of claim 17 further comprising applying a waterproof sealer to the bottom of the particle board, said waterproof sealer covers an area around the sink aperture having a perimeter extending at least 2 inches from the sink aperture.
 19. A countertop frame for installation onto a sink and faucet counter comprising: A. a top side and a bottom side, said top side contains a laminate layer, said bottom side contains a wood particle board layer, said laminate layer is glued to the particle board layer; B. an aperture for placing a sink; and C. a plastic block, said plastic block is wedged in a channel removed from the wood particle board layer, said plastic block has a plurality of holes drilled to accommodate plumbing for faucet members. 